Standard scalpel handles with flat gripping arrangements do not provide contoured gripping surfaces to keep the index finger, thumb and middle finger in place. Moreover, standard scalpel handles with flat body handle gripping arrangements can lead to slippage of the fingers onto the blade or an uncontrolled rolling between the fingers.
Many innovative scalpel handle designs have been implemented in order to address issues related to ergonomic requirements of a scalpel grip. Some of these address the protection of the scalpel user from the danger of the sharp blade, examples being U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,531,754 and 7,101,382.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,754 to Ziemer is directed to the alignment of a scalpel blade without the necessity for eye contact. To this end, there is provided a handle region comprising three lateral faces, which are disposed such that a cross section with a triangular envelope results for the handle region, and at least one of the lateral faces is provided with tactile identifying features. The triangular envelope of the cross section of the handle region facilitates a proper holding of the scalpel blade holder between middle finger, thumb and index finger, the scalpel blade holder and thus the scalpel fixed thereto being able to assume only three different rotational states about the center axis of the handle region of the scalpel blade holder, with respect to the fingers. The limitation in movement to only three rotational states allows the user to determine the alignment of the scalpel blade holder and of the scalpel affixed thereto via his fingers by means of his sense of touch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,106 discloses a scalpel comprising a shank having a holder for releasably mounting a surgical blade. The holder includes a sleeve, which is threadedly engaged with the shank at one end thereof and adapted to be screwed axially along the shank. The sleeve forms a ball socket, which is adapted to receive therein a ball fixed to the blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,219 discloses a stricture scalpel for endoscopic use having a blade with a cutter and a stem which is inserted into the distal end of a shank.
US 20050267502 discloses a safety scalpel having a tubular housing, a coupling reciprocating within the housing and holding a cutting head or blade and a control member used to selectively extend the cutting head outwardly of the housing and retracted into the housing. A tubular groove on an inner surface of the housing may be used to simultaneously translate the cutting head and rotate it about a longitudinal axis of the housing. The cutting head can be immobilized within the housing by jamming the control tab or by removing the control tab from the housing.
Flat or triangular shaped devices are not comfortable for the user, as these handles do not sufficiently cater to the ergonomic requirements of a grip. Flat body handles provide textured gripping surfaces for the fingers, but are too small or too narrow to grip comfortably for extended periods of time, or once gripped restrict the free movement of the hand. Furthermore, flat body handle gripping arrangements can only be used basically in one position without the danger of slippage or rolling between the fingers accompanied by the risk of consequent injury to the user or the patient. Grips having triangular cross-sections may present an ease of orientation positioning, however, they fall short of providing ergonomically comfortable working solutions. One edge of the triangular shaped device can dig into a user's finger.
US 2010-0005630 in the name of the present Applicant discloses an ergonomic handle for surgical tools designed to facilitate the positioning of the user's hand grip and comprising a longitudinally extending body substantially oval in cross-section and being provided with four, substantially concave indentations positioned towards the proximal end of the handle, a first concave indentation being provided along a top surface of the handle, second and third indentations being provided along lateral surfaces, and a fourth indentation being provided along the bottom surface of the body respectively and positioned relative to each other to provide a contiguous interface respectively with the user's thumb, index finger and middle finger.
Known scalpels, including those configured for deep surgery, suffer from a number of drawbacks. First, they are not equally suited for use by left- and right-handed users since the finger grip is axially fixed relative to the blade. Consequently, an indent that is well adjusted for a right-handed user will not be comfortable for use by a left-handed user and vice versa. Secondly, they do not address the need to minimize the fatigue caused by the need to adjust relative position of fingers and maintain an assured operational control and alignment of the scalpel blade during surgery.
Yet a further consideration associated with surgical scalpels and other surgical instruments is the need for very fine adjustment during surgery. Thus, there is often a need to move the blade of a scalpel forward or sideways by a very small controlled amount. This requires extremely fine balance and places severe strain on the wrists of the surgeon.